A. Hameed Ali was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the USA to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him more and more into inquiring into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature.

Hameed's interest in the truth of human nature and the true nature of reality resulted in the creation and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach®:

“The Diamond Approach is a path of wisdom, an approach to the investigation of Reality and work on oneself that leads to human maturity and liberation. Because of our particular vision of Reality it is not completely accurate to think of this approach as spiritual work, for this work does not separate the spiritual from the psychological, neither does it see these two as separate from the physical everyday life and scientific investigation of the content of perception. However, because we live in a society where the prevailing thought is that of the separated facets of Reality, the closest category recognized in this mentality, to our approach, is that of a spiritual path or exploration.”

In the Fall of 2003, Bob Olson, clinical psychologist and a student of the Diamond Approach, conducted an interview with Hameed to explore more of the personal side of the man behind the teaching (Hameed the Person/Teacher).

"God as Essence" is a reflection by Hameed on his understanding of God.

"Heart Dweller" is a personal and revealing statement about the first stages of spiritual discovery as experienced and written by A.H. Almaas between 1971 and 1973.

For an intimate glimpse into Almaas's personal journey and realization see Luminous Night's Journey.